It’s been so long

Only a month after my last post, I quit my game development job to look for something new that was more suited to my place in life.
Something with less overtime. Work that I didn’t take home to worry about it. In general less abuse to my health, which often comes with the territory.

It wasn’t easy to leave the old team. They eventually became my friends, but I saw things had to change. This wasn’t working for anybody on the long run. Others saw that too and left as well.

I love the creative side of game development, I also enjoy the technical aspects. Most of all I enjoy writing.
During my time making games which encompasses half my lifetime I learned that I really enjoy creating something and I enjoy problem solving.
However in a commercial environment creativity is seldom appreciated and doesn’t get the focus it requires. Technology rarely serves the end user the way it should.
Usually there is no time to do groundbreaking or great work. You can never really do your best or grow in your craft.
You’re running in your treadmill. You never get ahead. Ultimately you work until you break.
You work on games you wouldn’t buy or play yourself. Your boss has different ideas of what’s important.

Thinking back to the time of my game design study, I never understood people who decided to just “make a game”.
To me an idea always came first, not the decision to make a game.
Just as I don’t decide to write a novel without having an idea what it should be about.
When you think about that idea first you don’t stop brainstorming until everybody is thrilled and can’t wait to make that idea a reality.
If that’s not the case you better keep thinking. If that idea is not at the core of the project, how should each puzzle piece support and enrich that idea?

Oh well, I didn’t regret my decision to step away from making commercial games. In fact I didn’t make any games the last year. Instead I decided to focus on my work as a writer, which is very exciting and rewarding.

Since September I make a living working as a web developer and programmer for a leading telematics company. It’s a job well suited to my current place in life.
Sometimes I miss the old friends. I think about the good times and wish them all the best.